Post by pipergrey93 on Apr 5, 2010 9:44:30 GMT -5
Ok - I have been milking 2 quarters and leaving Eunice's calf the other two. Lately with the onions, I just assumed the calf didn't like the taste b/c although he was still emptying his two quarters, he was leaving 'my two' to drip with fullness, which I thought was certainly strange. I didn't even have to separate them and I still have two dripping teats waiting for me in the mornings.
He's a huge calf at 4 months and I just assumed he could take whatever Eunice produced. I separated them last night so I could tell exactly what was going on. Eunice was dripping in three teats this morning but one quarter looked almost empty. There is no way the calf could have gotten to that teat as he was in a pasture across the driveway.
I milked her out and got almost 4 gallons! I had to milk, put calf on, then take calf off for the 2nd letdown as she can hold back lots of milk.
Is is possible that Eunice is producing more milk than a large 4 month old calf can consume and the calf just let one of his quarters almost dry up? The one quarter only had about a cup of milk in it and it is very loose, flabby and empty! All this time I thought he was emptying 'his' two quarters, I think he was getting full on the one I left him and what Eunice holds back from me in the other two so he just let his least favorite teat dry up.
Eunice is a jersey - can a jersey produce almost 8 gal a day? AND, can a 450-500 lb. calf be overwhelmed enough so that he lets a quarter all but dry up? I've never come across this issue in any of my readings on KFC.
If this is possible - at what point can I expect the calf to empty her out - I don't want to HAVE to milk when I don't need anymore. Thanks all - Sandy
He's a huge calf at 4 months and I just assumed he could take whatever Eunice produced. I separated them last night so I could tell exactly what was going on. Eunice was dripping in three teats this morning but one quarter looked almost empty. There is no way the calf could have gotten to that teat as he was in a pasture across the driveway.
I milked her out and got almost 4 gallons! I had to milk, put calf on, then take calf off for the 2nd letdown as she can hold back lots of milk.
Is is possible that Eunice is producing more milk than a large 4 month old calf can consume and the calf just let one of his quarters almost dry up? The one quarter only had about a cup of milk in it and it is very loose, flabby and empty! All this time I thought he was emptying 'his' two quarters, I think he was getting full on the one I left him and what Eunice holds back from me in the other two so he just let his least favorite teat dry up.
Eunice is a jersey - can a jersey produce almost 8 gal a day? AND, can a 450-500 lb. calf be overwhelmed enough so that he lets a quarter all but dry up? I've never come across this issue in any of my readings on KFC.
If this is possible - at what point can I expect the calf to empty her out - I don't want to HAVE to milk when I don't need anymore. Thanks all - Sandy